Nepal

Quick detour to Nepal, in hopes of finding some cooler temps after the furnace that was India.

So after almost six months of nonstop travel, I have finally decided I need a change of scenery. Well, that, and I have opera tickets in Budapest next week!

I had not originally planned to stop in Nepal, but I did find four days in my schedule and decided to schedule a quick stopover. And, no, I did not climb any mountains.

Kathmandu itself is rather grim, particularly at this time of year. Dusty, dirty and hazy. But I knew this was not an ideal time to visit, and the valley itself has some great sites, so it was worth it. Old royal palaces anchor Kathmandu, Bakhtapur and Patan, and it makes for an easy day of sightseeing to do all three.

Photography is difficult, given the dark woods and the architectural style of overhangs. This is rather a shame, as much of the wood carvings and sculpture are quite impressive. Also, many of the stupas are very impressive.

Normally, I admit that I can’t help but chuckle a bit when I hear about people getting stuck in some national crisis they didn’t know about. You know, the people who went to the beach right before an airline strike. I know we can’t plan for every contingency, but I always try to be informed.

Fittingly, I wandered into Nepal right before a major constitutional crisis, something I knew nothing about. The news had been filled the week before with stories about the Everest hikers who died, so I guess there wasn’t more space available to detail the ongoing failure of the Nepalese constituent assembly to draft a constitution.

Rumors of a strike were everywhere, and there was a baton and tear gas battle in front of the legislature, but otherwise everything was calm.

Instead of climbing the mountains, I did the next best thing, which is a one-hour flight from Kathmandu to see Everest and the Himalayas. You fly right alongside, and are allowed to enter the cockpit for some amazing views.

The mountains are indescribable.